The Telemachy Paradigm
by Mutant-Enemy-730
Summary: Post-Season Eight. The disappearance of Buffy after the events of Season Eight leave Faith and Giles in charge of the future of the Slayers. Nearly a decade later, the question arises: how long can you ignore your calling before needing to return?


AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE READ!

This is just a quick idea I had one night. Possibly will expand upon it into an actual story. If so, that will take LOTS of time. Life drains my imagination and energy... and motivation. Although not my ability to over-brainstorm (just the writing part).

Let me know what you think. Because if it is to continue, definitely Fuffy. Far down the line, but definitely.

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox own it all. Phooey. Any OC's that may be created are mine however.

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"We have a report coming in from the team in Uganda, an unknown player entered into their battle," Xander had flung open the door to Giles' office without knocking, his statement silencing any reproachful comments that could be made at his entrance.

Faith was leaning against the bookcase, her arms crossed under her chest, her angry look at his intrusion shifting into a grim expression of concern, expecting bad news. Giles, for his part, merely leaned back in his chair behind his desk, folding his hands together on his lap, waiting for Xander to continue.

At the apparent lack of verbal consent to continue, Xander barreled on, "It was ambiguous at first, from what the scattered statements are saying, as it was a big showdown, and anything that didn't come with the girls was deemed a threat, but apparently it did quite a bit of tactical damage. The girls say they had been preparing to pull back to a safer location to launch a second attack, but this player apparently came in just when they needed the help.

"What happened once the battle was in the Slayers' favor?" Giles asked.

"That's where the reports get…fuzzy," Xander glanced back between Giles and Faith, and shifted his feet at the scrutiny. "No one remembers seeing this player when it was over, and no one remembers seeing it leave."

"So it came in to help, and peaced once its job was accomplished," Faith surmised.

Xander nodded, "Looks like. The girls had far lower casualties than if it hadn't been there, and now the L'tyng demon nest that was becoming problematic is no longer an issue."

"This…being…may appear to be allied with us, but we know nothing about it, and as such, it must be treated as a neutral player. If it is encountered again by any of our teams, it is to be monitored, and only take aggressive measures if any of our members are attacked first. We do not want to provoke it against us if it is neutral," Giles stated, his eyes flicking between Xander and Faith as he spoke.

Xander nodded again, "Sure thing Giles, I'll get that out to all bases right now."

"Xander," Faith stopped him as he turned, "Did the girls get a visual ID on what this thing looked like? Any descriptors?"

Xander glanced back down at the paper he held in his hand, "Just that it was in black, skin-tight, covert-ops wear head to toe. Even a face mask with protective goggles over the eyes. It is assumed that it was human, but they can't state that with any certainty. Oh, and a broad sword was being wielded by it."

Faith nodded, and Xander took that as his cue and exited quickly, shutting the door behind him as he left.

Faith sighed and unfolded her arms before moving to sit in a chair in front of Giles' desk. Sinking into it, Faith rubbed a hand over her face.

"This is new, and unexpected," Giles began.

"We know nothing, G, of course it's unexpected. Just because the damn thing is wearin' a _Splinter Cell_ outfit, does not mean it's human. I know plenty of demons who are built just like me an like stilettos," Faith snorted, shaking her head.

Giles furrowed his brow at the pop-culture reference, but ignored it, "Faith, the Slayers were most likely stating that on more than just the attire. Fighting style can tell you quite a lot about someone, or something."

Faith remained silent, and Giles took that as her way of agreeing without actually saying she did. She was not the type of person most people would think should be in charge – of a register – never mind an entire army of Slayers, mages, and demonic allies. It had fallen into her lap, accidentally, in a way. Giles watched her as she stood up again and began pacing, her face drawn, lost in thought.

After Buffy's rather startling departure in the middle of the night shortly after the events of the "Twilight saga" (as Andrew began calling it) had settled, Willow looked to Giles for assistance into this new, unforeseen future. It had become known to him that Xander and Dawn had wanted to get away from this life, and Willow told him what Buffy told her about her future self, and Faith, ever the fidgety type, was too focused on her own demons to lead on her own, and so the burden was passed to him. Reluctantly, he took it.

Giles had given Xander and Dawn his best and sent them off to live their lives, only to have them come trotting back a year and a half later, after the Slayers had suffered major casualties at the expense of closing a Hellmouth in New Brunswick. After many apologies from them, and just as many reassurances that they should not feel guilty about wanting to be out of this lifestyle, Giles welcomed them back into Slayer Central. Xander was once again head of Ops at the base, with the added job of being the person all satellite teams across the globe were to report to for any reason any operation did not go the way they had planned.

Willow, for her part, had gone on a retreat to find her balance after the events of Twilight, and had only returned a couple of years ago. Kennedy at that point, had been detailed to Madrid, and had to remain there for another year before returning back here, where they had begun to work through their relationship again after such a long separation. Giles was hopeful, if not a bit glad that both were back together. While both were wonderful individually, they both functioned better when together.

And Faith, well…Giles sighed internally, glancing up to see her still pacing. Faith almost reverted to her old self when Buffy had left. So many Slayers began looking to her to teach them. To _lead_ them. Faith wasn't Buffy. She was not a natural born leader, but the title was being thrust onto her shoulders, and Giles watched her struggle with it for a few months before she had asked quietly one night,

"_G, I can't do this alone. I can't lead alone, not like B."_

"_Buffy did not lead alone, Faith, she had us helping her in our various ways," Giles replied, watching her stare out the window in the backyard. The room was dark except for the desk lamp he had turned on, and the moonlight coming through the window, lighting Faith up as she wrapped her arms around herself._

"_B led alone. You helped her do her job better. But she made the calls, and you know, even if you disagreed, rarely did it go any way except hers. And it worked. Fuck, it worked for, what, nine, ten years? Who even counts anymore?" Faith sighed, "But these girls…they want a leader. And they want me to be that leader. And I can't do that. G, I need you to be more than just the dude who researches and interrogates. I know you're all, 'retired' and shit, but…fuck." Faith ran a hand through her raven locks, and Giles could see her hand shaking._

_Swallowing at what he was about to say, Giles closed his eyes, his decision made, "All right, Faith."_

_He watched as Faith turned to look at him, her eyes hopeful, a look he rarely saw from her, "Really?"_

_Giles nodded, "Yes. I'll have Andrew announce it tomorrow. We can figure out logistics later."_

_Faith smiled gently at him, "I know it's a lot to ask from ya, G."_

"_The world asks more from us than anyone else because we are the only ones who can protect it. It is what we do," Giles replied, but he knew Faith saw the look in his eyes._

_This wasn't something he would do if he didn't have to. Sometimes Faith thought the Scoobies let Buffy stay in charge because they didn't want the responsibility. And then she'd see the Chosen One in action, and would understand why she was in charge. She may not have been great at tactics – she had Giles and Xander for that; she may not have been great at fighting power – Willow helped in that arena; she may not even have been great at research –Dawn and Andrew willingly did that with skill; but she could lead an army, she could fight better than any other Slayer – even Faith, on most occasions (not including fighting each other); and most of all, she could shoulder the responsibility of those who died in battle._

_Faith had been privy once to hearing from the woman herself that she led because she would never want anyone to have to feel the burden of the deaths she has indirectly caused after so many years. Buffy had said that she remembered every single death. Each one as personal to her as the last. __**That**__ was why she led. She did it so no one else had to._

"_Thanks for…"Faith felt the words fail her, she didn't know how to fully thank him for being willing to shoulder the burden Buffy had unceremoniously handed to her. Smiling tightly, Faith continued, "Just, thanks."_

_Giles nodded, he knew what she was thinking; he understood why Buffy left. Perhaps, only he and Faith did. And maybe it was because of that shared understanding that he was willing to lead if she asked him to help._

Giles was startled from his reverie when Faith slammed her hands down on his desk in order to get his attention.

"It's a Slayer."

Giles blinked, his mind still thinking back on the memory, and it took him a moment before he realized she was talking about the being that had aided the Ugandan team.

"Faith, you cannot know that for certain," Giles began.

Faith stood up straight and shrugged, "Call it a gut feeling."

"Pacing for ten minutes does not equal a gut feeling," Giles replied, taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Every Slayer, on and off the grid, has a connection, G. We can feel each other, to varying degrees. You add that on top of the spider sense when baddies are nearby, you got a perfect combo for it being a Slayer," Faith explained, ignoring Giles' comment.

Giles glanced up at her, replacing his glasses on his face, "Faith, it could just have tracked the Slayers, or the demons, and followed either to that fight. Reconnaissance does not require being a Slayer, just skill and experience."

Faith fell silent, the rationale of his argument halted her – she knew enough human operatives that worked with her freelance to know he was probably more correct than she would ever be about this. That didn't stop the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that it was a rogue. Call it personal experience.

Faith sighed, and nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right, but we still know zilch." _And I have a feeling that's how it's gonna be for a while.  


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Please leave feedback. I never ask for it directly (but always hope silently), but I would like to know if you guys think this is something I should really flesh out into a grand arcing story like **Vacancy**._


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